r/WildernessBackpacking

I live in Arizona, a state where water sources are scarce and are much less reliable than other places. On my last trip, I tried to find trail reviews as recent as possible mentioning water sources via the AllTrails app. The most recent I could find was 2-3 weeks old, and mentioned that at least one of the creeks I was passing had water, but was also more than 10 miles in. Fortunately I packed extra water for my trip, because when I got to the water source it was bone dry and I ended up playing it safe and turning back.

Has anyone else had this experience? And is there any reliable services or online sources for confirming water? Or will I need to continue to justify my water anxiety?

I’m an author working on a scene set in a very remote mountain range, and I want to make sure I’m getting the reality right rather than leaning into dramatics.

The situation involves a small group traveling off-trail along exposed ridgelines and scree—no established path, limited footing, and no easy descent once they commit. They’re about 2–3 days from any settlement, carrying full packs, and navigating primarily by terrain.

I’d really value input from people with wilderness backpacking experience:

• How often do you actually commit to terrain where there’s no clean exit route?
• Do you typically plan multiple bail-out options ahead of time, or adapt as you go?
• What’s the biggest risk people underestimate in this kind of environment?

I’m trying to keep it grounded and believable, so any real-world perspective would be hugely helpful.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently planning a solo backpacking trip to Patagonia and would love to get some advice and suggestions from people who know the region well.

I’m thinking about traveling for around 3 to 5 weeks, most likely sometime in February or March. My main goal is to experience as much nature as possible and spend most of my time outdoors. I’m very open to different routes and regions and I’m not focused on only one specific famous trail.

In terms of experience, I wouldn’t call myself a complete beginner, but I’m also not highly experienced. I’ve done several longer hikes before, including a 50 km trek over 3 days, and I’ve camped in a tent multiple times. I’m comfortable using basic outdoor gear like a stove, cooking food, managing water, and taking care of myself in the wilderness. However, I haven’t done multi-week trekking trips yet.

My preference would be to wild camp most of the time and stay flexible with my plans. If necessary, I’m totally fine staying in a hostel or hotel occasionally to rest, resupply, or wait out bad weather. I really like the idea of traveling at my own pace and adapting my route along the way.

I will be traveling solo, and I don’t mind taking buses or other transport to reach trailheads or different regions. I’m mainly interested in nature, landscapes. I would love to see as much as possible during those weeks.

So I’m looking for recommendations such as:

- Good regions or routes in Patagonia for 3–5 weeks of travel

- Areas that are suitable for wild camping or flexible planning

- Multi-day hikes that are realistic for someone with moderate experience

- Any general advice for solo travelers in Patagonia

I’m open to both Chile and Argentina, and I’m still flexible with my exact route.

Thanks a lot for any tips or ideas!

I (22m) am going on my second backpacking overnight trip ever. I’ve gone with Eagle Scouts and am going with another Eagle Scout friend. Spending about a week in the Ozark highlands trail and am wanting to know if this list is good. (Going in late May)

Durston X mid 1 $269

Altra lobe peak 8 SIZE 10.5 $80

Sawyer squeeze $46

Soto Amicus with igniter $50

Durstan kakwa 55 $279

Kelty Cosmic down 20 $190

Petzl tikkina headlamp $10

TOAKS pot $26

Tito Long handle spork $9

Cascade mountain trekking poles $30

Braid $5

Trekology Inflatable Pillow $20

Coglans outdoor compass $9

Cnoc Outdoors 2L bag $30

Nalgene $13

Total $910~

I'm always paranoid about putting them in my backpack. I'm afraid they might poke into my other softer gear like sleeping bags or pad. For now, I put them off to one side, making sure the tail end is all the way at the bottom of the pack. Either that or I straight up just carry them on one of my shoulder straps.

I’m planning a 4-night trip through some pretty rough trails and high elevations, and I realized my old tent just won’t cut it. I need something lightweight but durable enough to handle wind and occasional rain. I’ve been looking at a few options online, but it’s hard to tell which ones actually perform well out in the backcountry rather than just in reviews.

Does anyone have experience with tents that balance weight and weather protection for longer wilderness trips? How much should I expect to compromise on comfort to get something that’s truly reliable? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Before I catch the shuttle the next morning to backpack the Lost Coast Trail? Is it allowed?

Hello yall, like the title mentioned im looking for any recs within 5 hours for a 2 night trip, im down for a pretty good drive. No limit for how rigorous the hike is as long as its under 25 total miles, my gf and I are pretty experienced backpackers and ive been searching for something tough or high elevation. My question is does anyone have recommendations on par with Grayson Highlands? I do think that all these parks have beauty in their own ways but after hiking most of Mt Rogers area and the park itself i feel kinda spoiled with the type of views i got to see and wanted to hear yalls top picks. TN, WV, VA, its all cool

Last year I went solo backpacking near Mt Hood in Oregon, just for one night. It was pretty early in the spring and to my knowledge there were no other campers in the area. Just as it was starting to get dark I heard the craziest sound, kind of like a woman screaming but then it shifted into more of a haunting “YEOW!” sound. Does this sound like a cougar? There was a sign at the trailhead that said a cougar had been seen in the area about a month earlier. It freaked me out so bad I considered hiking out but then I thought moving around might put me at more risk if there was a cougar. What would you have done?

Kind of curious peoples thoughts on the tradeoffs on weight vs sustainability of gear. When it comes to clothes, tents, sleeping bag fabrics, sleeping pads, etc... you almost always get lighter gear when because of the lighter fabrics. However, the lighter fabrics are almost always less durable. I would assume this also means it will be less durable. Things that are less durable won't last as long and maybe needed to be replaced much quicker than a more durable product.

Thoughts?

Hello all!

We're going to be in Denver last week of June. I've done a lot of research and have narrowed things down to two very different backpacking trips, to start on 6/24.

Option 1: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/northern-indian-peaks-loop

We would plan to do this over four days, 3 nights. Would be the above trail with a side trip out to Crater Lake. First night by Coney Flats, second night by Cascade Creek Waterfall, third night by Pawnee Lake. We completed Four Pass Loop in four days, for reference.

In reviewing reports from years past, seems like snow was still present end of June. This year, snowpack is so low in Colorado that I'm speculating it will be better. The other issue I'm seeing is that Mitchell Lake Trailhead typically doesn't open till July 1st. I'm not sure if this is a hard date or if they flex depending on conditions. This option would only require 3 hour roundtrip from Denver.

Option 2. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/cirque-of-the-towers-to-fremont-trail-loop

We would plan to do this over two nights, three days due to time constraints. We would drive there on a Wednesday afternoon from Denver, start Thursday, and finish Saturday. Drive back that day to Denver and leave Denver following evening. Trail is substantially "easier" with a lot less elevation gain and a bit less mileage. Same questions apply on conditions. We'd be looking at about 14 hour roundtrip from Denver.

The issue is just how different the two options are, logistically. An extra 11 hours of driving (most of which I'm sure would be on the boring side) seems crazy. But from what I've read about Wind River Range, it does seem to be one of the best places to backpack.

Open to other suggested routes in other parts of Colorado / Wyoming, of course but any feedback would great!

I’m planning on traveling from Wisconsin this year for a week long fishing trip in the Winds. None of us have ever been there before. I’m wondering what the best time of year would be to avoid being eaten alive by bugs but still have good fishing. I was hoping to camp on the Green River basin by squaretop mountain. What should we be prepared for? TIA for any advice!